Let the Countdown Begin!

Hello Friends!

Yes, I know.. I am a terrible blogger. Going on three months since a post; yikes! I have so much to be sharing right now but for some reason it takes me forever to get on here and type. Anyway, I am here now...with lots to catch you up on! The wedding countdown has begun...tomorrow we will be one month away from the BIG DAY!! I cannot express in words how excited I am. I mean I am P.U.M.P.E.D!! I am not only pumped because Chris and I will finally be married and beginning our lives as a married couple..but also because... the wedding planning and anticipation will be OVER!. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed every minute of the countless phone calls with my mother discussing the wedding, every shower, every wedding party, and every detail of the wedding..from the flowers, to the mint tea we will be serving; however, it has been completely overwhelming and I am ready to be married and actually talk to my mom about something other than the wedding! Yes, I admit it. I have had much fun with the anticipation and now I am I am just ready for it to get here already! Everything is ready to go (for now, but 500 things will probably come up the week of the wedding) and in a month Chris and I will be married and headed to the Dominican Republic for the honeymoon :)! 

Aside from my life being consumed in wedding plans, I finally started sub teaching at St. Paul Christian Academy in Nashville. I love it there, and I am meeting lots of great people and making good connections in hope of landing a permanent teaching position soon. Please keep praying for me to land a job soon! I miss teaching so much!! Ready to be back in the classroom full force. Chris is enjoying his work and had a great week last week! Sold so many cases that we went out for a celebratory dinner on Saturday night. It was great to go on a "just us" date. God has blessed us with so many things to be happy and thankful for! And with Thankgiving around the corner, I am sure thanking Him for all my blessings. I am posting some pictures to show you what we have been up to! Bare with me..haha, I do have three months worth of events to share!

Chris and I at our couples shower in Atlanta

Us with the wonderful hostesses of the shower!

Courtney got married! She made a beautiful bride!

On the way to Courtney and Tyler's reception!

Halloween- Teacher and a very cute nerd.

Family at my church shower in Mendenhall

My wonderful friends hosted me an "Around the House" shower!

Well, that's all for now my fellow bloggers! Hopefully, I will be a better blogger and actually start posting more than every three months. In the meantime, let the wedding countdown begin!

God Bless!

-Anna



He Always Answers..In Some Way!

It's been a while since my last post, and goodness I feel like I have been on a roller coaster these past two months. Since my last post, I have made the full move to Nashville. I am here officially, and I love it!! However, things have not gone exactly as planned. As you all know, I am a teacher. I absolutely LOVE teaching. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in the third grade. I used to come home from school and set up my stuffed animals in my room like they were students and play "teacher" all afternoon. I was a Kindergarten teacher at Gary Road Elementary in Jackson, MS before I moved to Nashville. I came here this summer thinking I would land a teaching position with no trouble. After all, there are four school districts around me. Some would have me commuting at least thirty minutes, but that was no big deal to me considering I used to commute 45 to Jackson. So I applied to four school districts. And guess what? I am typing from home on a Tuesday, with NO teaching job. At first, I was really down on myself...thinking something was wrong with me as teacher and that principals were just overlooking my resume. The good news is that after meeting people in the Nasvhille area, I have learned that it is very hard to move to the area and land a teaching position right away, and I am not the only one who had their hopes of being a teacher here crushed. I spent all summer visiting schools, hand delivering resumes, emailing and calling principals every single day. Out of all the visits, emails, and calls, I managed to meet...get ready...a whooping number of TWO principals. That is right, TWO. And I know I visited at least 60 schools.....some of them twice. I did have one interview (with one of the two principals I met), and I didn't get the job. This was a huge reality check for me. I know you're thinking...stop complaining, lots of peopel have trouble getting jobs, not just you. But you see, I have NEVER had trouble with getting a job. So when I got called to my first interview..I thought....I have an interview, I got the job. In high school, I landed a part time job as a bank teller at age 16. Had an interview, got the job. In college, walked into a restaurant on the Square in Oxford looking for a summer job, got a job offer on the spot..first restaurant I went into. After college, I went on my first interiew looking for a teaching position, and I got the job. Needless to say, I didn't get the 4th grade teaching position I interviewed for. I continued to search and search for any leads that would land me an interview, or even another meeting with a principal..but no luck! I have prayed and prayed for something to come up, for me to land a teaching position..anywhere and any grade. Through all of it, I have turned to God for answers and comfort. And although my prayer of being a teacher has not been answered yet, so many other prayers have been!! That's the greatest thing about prayer, you always get something answered! After school started and the chances of me getting a teaching job was lowered even more, I started praying for ANY job, and those prayers were answered right away! I applied to be a "nanny," and landed tons of interviews! Although it is not what I want to be doing for a career, I know I should be thankful that I have a job at all. I took the job of being a nanny for a family with an almost 2 year old and a 4 year old; both boys! I will be keeping them on Thursdays and Fridays. For the other three days of the week, I hope to be substitute teaching so that I can get my foot in the door at different schools and land a teaching position next year. I am going to keep working hard until I am a teacher...do not care where...just somewhere!! But for now, I NEED a J.O.B. Not only am I broke, I am bored during the day!!! You can only enjoy so much sitting at home. Through all this, Chris has been so supportive...literally...with comfort and money. We are not married yet, but he has sure been supporting me like we are! :) We have both been praying and praying for God to take of us..and he always finds a way. Last week, Chris learned that he is getting a pay raise at his job!! When I found it out, I thought...wow..God is GOOD!! So..prayers are always answered in some form.

In the mix of all the job worries, my younger sister found out she had to have surgery. She had something very rare..called Nutcraker Syndrome. They had to go in a re route a vein behind her kidney. And wouldn't you know it..God answered our prayers and brought her through the surgery safe and sound. He even answered the prayers of recovery as we asked Him to please allow her to recovery safely and fast so that she could start nursing school on time (two weeks after her surgery)...and she did! So what have I learned from all this? God is great, He has a plan, he answers prayers, and He will never throw you anything that you cannot handle...always remember that!!

Now...on to the fun stuff!! In the past two months I have moved to Nashville and made some great new friends!! Chris and I visited Woodmont Baptist Church and LOVED it. Everyone was so welcoming and they have activities for all ages. We plan on going to the young professionals Sunday Bible study next time we visit. We are going to visit a few churches and join one in the Nashville area very soon. Right now, we are thinking Woodmont Baptist is a great fit for us! I celebrated my 24th birthday in Nashville back in July and just recently celebrated my mom's 50th birthday! Her bday is not until August 28th but we surprised her with a party this past Saturday. Here a few pics of the fun times I have had since my last post!

 Celebrating the 4th of July at Ridge's (Chris dad) lake house at Reynolds Plantation!

 Happy Fourth of July!! Watching the fireworks!

 Summer fun with my girls on the boat!

 My dad sking...after 30 years he still has it!

   Hanging out with new friends in Nashville! Mine and Sidney's birthday weekend!

 Chris and me out celebrating my birthday!

Having some birthday fun with the girls!

 My birthday cake..cookie cake from Publix...Yummy...Chris did great!

 Out on Broadway celebrating Courtney's Bachelorette Party!!

 Friends at my mom's 50th surprise birthday party! It was H.O.T.

 Chris and me enjoying the party!

 Sisters! Yeah, we were pretty hot. Haha, but it was worth it..we had a blast!

 My wonderful family...happy birthday mama!!

Isn't she the cutest?!!! Best mom in the world. Hands down.

As always, thanks for visiting my blog! Next weekend Chris and I are going to Memphis to attend a couples shower for the soon to be bride and groom..Courtney Conley and Tyler Dutton! Then FINALLY...football season begins!!! Hotty Toddy! Cannot wait for Grove time. Also, wedding updates to come soon! We are less than four months away...and I am more than ready!! God bless you all!

Anna



Wedding Fun

Has it really been a month since my last post?! Yikes! Time sure does fly. I have been so busy with Wedding plans, wedding fun, and getting ready to move to Nashville!! Chris moved out of his apartment and got all moved into the townhome we will be living in together once we are married! Until then, I will be living right down the street (literally) with my good friend, Courtney!

Our townhome is PRECIOUS! Of course, the minute I saw it...I had projects running through my head! Number 1 project: Painting. This was a must. All the walls were biege..not an ugly biege at all..but I had to have some color/life put into the place. After MANY samples of paint colors from Home Depot (and Chris telling my NO MORE samples, pick the colors!!) we finally went with Sherwin Williams colors (ha, not even where we started). We picked "Sticks and Stones" for the living room...a grayish/brown/stone color is the best way to describe it. It is so warming and inviting and matches the charcoal couch Chris already had (which is not my favorite, but I will have to say it looks much better with the new color on the walls). We picked "Breezy" for our bedroom. It is a soothing blue and is perfect for the bedroom because it screams relaxation!! I had help on this color from my talented sister, Jennifer. For our kitchen, we did end up going with a color from Home Depot. It is called "Cricket" by Behr paint. So pretty!! Love my green kitchen! So far, those are the only rooms we have finished painting. We still have the master bathroom to paint and the dining room! We have spent so much time painting in the last few weeks, we had to take a break! So we will start on those rooms in the weeks to come. I am leaving the sunroom, guest bedroom and bathroom the original biege (I don't think I have it in me to take on three more rooms)! It is amazing how much color can change the feel of a home..even Chris admitted I was right about the painting project and how much better it did look..ahhhh, sometimes it is so fun to hear him say I was right :)!! Home projects to still be started and completed: More furniture needed, cushions and pillows made by sister to go in our window seats, shower curtians made by sister, as well as curtians for the windows!! My sister makes beautiful drapes, pillows, bedspreads, etc.! You pick the fabric..she makes it!! If you ever  need custom made items for your home..I will give you her number. She lives in Oxford, MS. I will post pictures of our new townhome as it comes together!

Now...on to the Wedding Fun!! Yesterday marked six months until our big day!! It seems like yesterday that Chris proposed. My mom and I realized we need to buckle down and really get to planning. We have all the "major" things booked: wedding director, church, reception site, caterer, florist, photographer, cake lady, wedding dress purchased, bridesmaids dresses and flower girl dress picked out, the band booked, and Chris' family booked Duling Hall in Jackson for our rehearsal dinner! So now it is on to the small details...ceremony set up with music, programs, invitations, save the dates, design of the cakes, and countless meetings with the caterer/florist picking the menu and decor. I never realized how much really went into a wedding! So many small details that you have to consider! Although it is overwhelming, I am enjoying every minute. With all the planning, you get to celebrate through showers and parties!! My kindergarten teacher friends at Gary Road Elementary (still sad I had to say goodbye to everyone) threw me a shower on May 17th after school! It was wonderful and I got so many nice and useful gifts! I cannot wait to start using all our gifts in our new home!!

A few of the Kindergarten teachers who hosted my shower!

My mom and Granny came at my shower!

After my first bridal shower, I had our engagment party to look forward to! My parents sweet friends hosted Chris and I an engagement party on Saturday, June 4th. It was at the beautiful home of Stanley and Stacy Mangum in Jackson and other hostesses were Wayne and Lisa Hilton, Tim and Mell Ann Scarborough, Christian and Dana Carrico, and Robbie and Melissa Barnes. Words cannot express how great and wonderful the party was!! All of our closest friends and family were there, and I felt so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life! We really enjoyed celebrating our engagement with everyone and a BIG THANK YOU goes to the wonderful hostesses! Here are a few pictures from our party!

Bride and Groom..future Mr. and Mrs. White!

Maid of Honor and Matron of Honor..my gorgeous sisters!

Chris and his buddies!

My family with Chris, his mom, and his brother..right after everyone gave Chris and I a toast!!

My family (Patterson side)!

My bridesmaids!!

Lee Family and Mangum Family! The party was at the home of the Mangums!

As you can see, the party went great and was a great start to all of our wedding festivities!! I am so excited to be marrying Chris, and a night of celebrating with our friends and family just added to the excitement!!

In the mist of all the wedding planning and activities, we have been having a little personal fun! Here are some pictures of what else we have been up to!

My last day of school at Gary Road Elementary...with some teacher friends getting ready for our "Boots Dance!" I will miss these ladies.

Chris and I Memorial Day weekend at the Jimmy Buffet concert in Nashville!

Mal came to Nashville for the concert! Tailgated all day!!

Chris and I at the Vineyard! Good times with friends..picnicing and wine tasting!

As always, thanks for visiting!! Hope everyone is having a fabulous summer! Being a teacher, I know I am!! No work for two months :)! Oh yeah..still looking for a teaching position in Nashville. Keep your fingers crossed for me and say some extra prayers!! I need a job!!

And last but not least, today is a very special day...Happy Birthday to the best man I know..my daddy!! Tonight we are going to dinner to celebrate his birthday, as well as my little sister getting into Nursing School! Congrats to Mallory, she is going to be a wonderful nurse. God is so good.

God Bless!!

-Anna



Loving Nashville

I have spent the last two weekends in my soon to be new city/home..Nashville!! I. LOVE. IT. I had a great time with Chris celebrating his birthday (May 4th) and going out with friends! I went back the following weekend for Steeplechase..if you have never been to one..GO!! A day of horse racing, pretty dresses and big hats, and of course...tailgating! Even though it was cloudy and rainy, I had the best time meeting new people and spending the day with Chris and his friends from work! Here are some pictures from the fun weekends!

Happy Birthday Chris!! 

 Cake and presents waiting for him when he got home from work!!

Chris with his birthday dessert at dinner!

Enjoying his birthday dinner at Sunset Grill in Nashville!

Crawfish Boil at my sister's house in Oxford (went to Oxford to take our engagment pics)!! Those will come soon... :)

Enjoying Steeplechase in Nashville..sorry for the background view!

This was the only horse I saw. Obviously, we were too focused on the tailgating part of Steeplechase..never made it to see the races. Whoops.

Big hat..so fun.

Trying to stay dry. Rain, Rain, go away.

As always, thanks for visiting!! I will soon be posting pictures from the start of my wedding fun...engagement pictures, first bridal shower, etc!! Can't wait to share. :) God bless you all!!

Love,

Anna

Blessed

Hey people! So I know it's been a while since my last post...but I have had alot going on!! First of all, sometimes I am literally too tired to lift a finger when I get home from work (living 45 minutes away from school is not fun) and second, our internet has been down. Bummer. But with alot going on...I have alot more to share! Lately I have been reflecting on how truly blessed I am. Seriously, God is awesome. Sometimes it is so easy to get frustrated and mad at the little things that happen to us in life (like having a rock crack your windshield, forcing you to buy a new one) but lately I have realized how insignicant those minor things are...compared to the big picture at least. My heart goes out to those who suffered damage or the loss of a loved one in the recent storms that went through Mississippi and Alabama. It is heartbreaking to know the mourning some people are going through, and it is times like these when Faith in God is so important. We may not understand His reasons for things, and He doesn't expect us to,  He just expects us to trust and lean on Him. I have so much to be thankful for, and I want to give God all the praise and glory! The past few weeks have been fun and exciting times for me! Here are a few pictures to share with you what I have been up to!!

Visitor from Bancorp South talking to my Kindergarten babies about money!! They loved it!

Night out with my favorite girls :)

 

The Easter Bunny brought Chris a basket with all of his favorite goodies!

 

Chris and I after church on Easter Sunday!

Happy Birthday to my sister, Mallory (April 22nd)! Chris, Me, Mallory, and Stephen celebrating on our back deck! Good times..grilling, dancing, and spending time with our parents!

Haha...typical Chris.

Love him.

Good friends at Double Decker in Oxford!! Hotty Toddy.

I have to end by saying Happy Birthday to two very special people!! My good friend, Martha Mangum, turns 23 today...Hope it's a great one! And Happy Birthday to my fiance, Chris!! He turns 24 today. We will be celebrating in Nashville this weekend. Pictures to come next week! As always, thanks for visiting my blog. God Bless!!

Love to all,

-Anna 

I'm a blogger.. and engaged!!

 Welcome to my blog!! I am a new "blogger," and it has taken me forever to figure out how to design my page (ha, let's just say I am not technology savvy, and everyone else's page is super duper cute so I had to take the time to work on it). I have always loved writing down my thoughts and recording memories of special days...but before I decided to join the blogging world, I did it through journaling (yes, the old fashion way). So here it is...updates, thoughts, and recording of special events and days!

As my close friends already know, I just recently became engaged!! Let me just start by saying that I am beyond estatic ...simply because I will be marrying the most wonderful, caring guy I have ever known. Chris made me the happiest girl in the world when he proposed to me on March 11, 2011.  How did he do it? Let me just tell you...because it was PERFECT.

On that special Friday, I got out of school for Spring Break (I love being teacher) and headed to Nashville..I had a long 6 hour drive from Jackson, MS ahead of me! Chris and I had plans to spend the weekend with his parents, starting with dinner at 8:30, so I rushed up there...not knowing at all what the night had in store. I finally made it...(around 8:00..thankfully, my principal allowed me to leave school at 2:00 instead of 3:30) and I called Chris to come down and get my suitcase....or suitcases I should say- remember I was on Spring  Break..that is packing for a whole week!! To my surprise, Chris said he could not come down right that minute.. he was in a rush to get ready and was finishing shaving. So, getting frustrated that he is not already dressed and stalling my "getting ready" process, I headed up to his apartment. I was ready to fuss at him and make him get my suitcase up there asap...after all, it takes a girl a few mintues to freshen up, ya know? Little did I know what I was about to walk into...

As soon as I opened his door, I saw Chris on one knee..ring box in hand, with flowers and champange sitting on the table..and I was in complete SHOCK. Chris was smiling from ear to ear, and after his sweet speech (which I will leave private for us), asked me to marry him. Of course..I said YES...as I was shaking and smiling and jumping all at once.

My ring and flowers!! Chris did so good, love him!!

The next few minutes seem to be a little blurry...as we made a toast, drank champange, called people to share the exciting news, and prepared to walk out the door for dinner with his parents (all within 15 minutes). We caught a cab, spent the whole ride calling friends, and arrived at the restaurant Merchants in downtown Nashville. This is where the big surprise happens...

I walked upstairs where his parents told us they had a table reserved, and as I turned the corner I saw my two most favorite people in the world..my mom and dad!!! I had NO IDEA they were anywhere close to Nashville. Of course they were the first people I called after Chris proposed, and they played it off perfectly by acting like they were on our back deck in Mendenhall, having a drink..which is typical of my parents on a Friday night. Little liars....they had been in Nashville since that afternoon..with Chris and his parents..all of them preparing for the big night!! I must say that I was so shocked and happy to see them that I did tear up..tears of joy of course. All six of us enjoyed a WONDERFUL dinner...laughing, sharing stories, and of course, discussing wedding plans!! After dinner we met up with Julie and Jonathon (Chris' sister and her fiance)..and spent the rest of the night celebrating at The Stage on Broadway.

Chris and I with our parents at The Stage!

I can honestly say that the weekend could not have been more perfect. I am so blessed to have such wonderful parents, future in-laws, and of course...an amazing husband to be. Chris has brought so much joy and laughter to my life and I thank God every day for bringing us together.

I love you, Chris!!

Thanks for visiting my blog! Have a GREAT week!!

Love to all!!

-Anna